Thursday, October 21, 2021

That moment in Toronto

By Greg Rideout 

Time: 9 a.m.

Weather: So nice, so very nice

Route: Old standby down greenway, with a yell in the tunnel.

Distance: 3 miles and change, as they say.

Wow. Sometimes I feel great. I went out fast, across Saunders and on to the greenway. Legs, arms moving like a track star. (It only matters to me that it felt that way.) Some people might have this all the time. I am happy for them. I get it sometimes, now that my body is finishing its sixth decade on the planet. It’s a gift from the universe, one I am grateful for when it happens.

My mind felt at peace, and it allowed me to settle into pleasant memories. I’ve been thinking a lot about contentment lately, and an encounter with a Buddhist monk came to mind. I was walking around the Toronto airport waiting on a connecting flight. From a concourse, I viewed the Richard Serra sculpture there, and I was lost in reverie about its infinite solidity. When I returned to my surroundings, a man stood near me, wearing full brown/orange robes. 

 

It’s amazing to me that I can remember the calm and peace of the man now, as I follow the path over the creek and into the tunnel. I didn’t have some great conversation with him. Just small talk, but it felt like a benediction to me. I’ve carried it with me as I’ve come down this part of my journey. It’s just a feeling, one that I’m privileged to have as I trod the final decades.

I didn’t finish my run as strong as I started, but I did yell out in the last tunnel. “Love. Love. Love. All you need is love.”

No comments:

Post a Comment

truth always run straight

Time: 3 p.m. Weather: 70 F (end of October!) Route: Tunnels and Paths Distance: 3 miles, a bit more "Beauty is truth. Truth Beauty,...